If you are using a custom light shader, you cannot use the spotlight manipulators in the viewports unless the shader includes a “spread” parameter.
Otherwise, pressing b display s only a single black line projected from the light’s origin.
A spotlight casts its rays in a cone aimed at its interest. Spotlights have special options that control the size and shape of the cone. You can set these options using the spotlight’s property editor or its 3D manipulators.
To set the cone and spread angles from a property editor
1. Select a spotlight in the viewport.
2. Choose Modify > Shader from the Render toolbar to display the selected light’s property editor.
3. In the Light property editor, set the Spread. This is the angle in degrees of the inner, solid cone of full-intensity light.
4. On the General tab, set the Cone Angle. This is the angle in degrees of the exterior cone light. The cone defines the maximum spread of light.
To set the cone and spread angles using 3D manipulators
1. Select a spotlight.
2. Press b to display the light’s manipulators.
3. Press Tab until the spotlight’ cone and spread-angle manipulators appear.
4. The exterior wireframe cone controls the light’s cone angle. Click the edge of the cone and drag outward or inward to interactively increase or decrease the Cone Angle value, respectively.
5. The interior yellow shaded cone controls the light’s spread angle. Click the edge of the cone and drag outward or inward to interactively set the Cone Spread value.
6. Shift+click and drag the edge of either cone to increase or decrease both angles simultaneously. The distance between the angles of each cone remains the same.
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If you are using a custom light shader, you cannot use the spotlight manipulators in the viewports unless the shader includes a “spread” parameter. Otherwise, pressing b display s only a single black line projected from the light’s origin. |
The Spot Light view in a 3D view lets you select from a list of spotlights available in the scene. A spotlight view is useful to see what objects a spotlight is lighting and from what angle.
Selecting a spotlight from the view menu switches the point of view in the active viewport relative to the chosen spotlight. The point of view is set according to the direction of the light cone defined for the chosen spotlight. Changing the view from the 3D view directly affects the spotlight’s position or cone angle.
For more information about other viewpoints, see Types of 3D Views [ Interface and Tools ].
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